


The Training Of A Mord'Sith Pet

by twimatt



Category: Legend of the Seeker, Muse
Genre: Angst, F/M, M/M, Major/minor Character Injury, Master and pet, Torture, Violence, battles, major/minor character death, mord'sith - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-11-08
Updated: 2012-12-04
Packaged: 2017-11-18 05:54:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/557619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twimatt/pseuds/twimatt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I control you now.” It was Dominic´s laugh Matthew had heard. “Every single bit of you. Your body. Your magic. Your mind.” He leaned closer to whisper in Matthew´s ear. “I'm a Mord'Sith and I have been given the pleasure to handle your training.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Captured

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks goes out to the lovely end1essly and many others, for taking time to beta, and read through my stuff. Everything I post here can also be found at my LJ; http://twimatt.livejournal.com/
> 
> Thank you for reading.
> 
> IMPORTANT: My hard drive crashed, and smart as I am, I hadn't updated my backup in 9 months, meaning that chapters 7-13 is lost *sobs*
> 
> Don't expect an update here for several months AT LEAST as I need to rewrite them, and focus on school. The only good news is that I wrote everything from chapter ~4 in 6 months with a hell lot of schoolwork sandwiched with a tight scedule. This next term I'm much more free, but I won't give any promises.

“Christopher, in there!”

Two men ran through the edge of the forest and towards a cave. The rain they were trying to escape fell down harder, unknowing of the frustration of the two men. It was only rain after all, and the rain did not care.

They made it into the cave, soaked to the bone despite their sprint. Outside the cave the rain and the wind got worse, whipping up the long grass and leaves in every direction.

They quickly stripped to their underwear, as being good friends and having travelled around half the world had over the years had erased all kind of embarrassment that had existed when they started their journey.

The smaller of the two men looked at the bigger man's torso, and a teasing smile came to his lips.

Straightening out his face again, he took a few steps towards the other man and poked him in the stomach. “Getting some more fat on there are you Chris? Poor horse has to carry your enormous butt!”

Chris glared at the small man.

“Just because you fall off when _your_ horse kicks out a bit.”

A blush tinted Matthew´s cheeks. “I wasn't expecting the rabbit to run out in front of us!” he said defensive.

“Nor was the horse.” came Christopher´s reply, a faint echo following his words as he walked deeper into the tunnel, exploring it. “Although, he didn't seem very sorry about the loss.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” Matthew called out. Amused laughter was the only response he got.

Shaking his head with a smile, Matthew turned to their clothes and focused on drying their clothes with magic, without burning them up.

**********

Matthew woke up the next morning when the first beaks of sunlight trickled into the cave.

Groaning, the brunet got up from the layers of fleece he had been sleeping on and stretched his aching body. Stone was the least comfortable to sleep on, but he would choose it anytime over a cold and wet night.

The small remains of the fire they had succeeded to light last night were gone, but they had served their purpose. Their provision, and more importantly, themselves, were untouched by wild animals and hadn't frozen.

Matthew dressed and lit the fire again after he had taken care of his needs. The years of travel with Christopher had taught him a lot, both about people and wildlife. He could make a fire in less than a minute now, if he had the right tools. He could track and hunt animals he had never seen before, and make himself understood in the three different languages that were spoken in Midland. But one talent that didn't want to come was the talent to ride a horse.

They had never visited D'Hara, though, and Christopher had always shut his mouth tighter than a clam when Matthew proposed a visit to D'Hara.

It had confused Matthew at first, so he had insisted, but when his stubbornness had led to an argument, Matthew running away and Christopher almost dying, Matthew had dropped the subject.

Although he had dropped the subject with _Christopher,_ it didn't mean that he had dropped it altogether. Matthew wanted to know what was so bad with D'Hara, and had therefore tried to lurk, bribe or threaten out the answers from people who lived near the border or had visited D'Hara.

The thing that frustrated him most was the fact that he only got two things out of them. _'D'Hara is a dangerous place for all, but especially if you are an outsider. Stay away from there!'_ and _'If you ever are so stupid to go there, avoid Lord Kirk and his red demons. Avoid them, or die a very painful death.'_ or something similar.

The most memorable conversation about D'Hara he'd had was with an old woman who was selling herbs on a busy market in Midland near the border.

_”Stay away from the Mord'Sith, boy!” She said. and pointed a bony finger at him._

_Matthew was too curious about the Mord'Sith to be insulted by the woman calling him a 'boy'. ”Who are they?” he asked._

_”They're the lovers of the devil and death. Their hearts are blacker than the darkest of nights, so black that it's a miracle that they even have one.”_

_”How can they have one, then?”_

_”Because they care only about themselves, their sisters, and their master. Listen to me when I say this, boy. If you ever encounter a Mord'Sith, know that your fate is sealed, and that death will soon come to collect your soul.” She handed over a couple of small leather bags. ”Here are your herbs. Remember my words, boy. It could save your young life someday.”_

But now they were near the border again and today Matthew would try to get some more information out of them if he found any travellers.

Christopher woke up when the smell of food filled the cave.

Yawning, the tall man went out and came back a few minutes later, dressed himself, and sat down at the fire. Their breakfast wasn't much more than leftover meat and some old vegetables mixed with fresh berries that Christopher had found outside.

When they had finished, Matthew started to gather the plates but Christopher stopped him.

“Matthew,” he said hesitantly. Matthew looked up at him, curious about what Christopher wanted. “Matthew, I know that you have been trying to get information out of people about D'Hara,” Matthew felt a faint blush creep up his face. “But it's a very dangerous place, even at the border. So I've decided that I will grant you one, and only _one_ trip into D'Hara, with me.”

Matthew got so excited at Christopher´s words, his heart picked up pace and his breathing accelerated as he stared into Christopher´s hazel brown eyes, illuminated by the fire. So excited, that he didn't realize the danger until it was too late.

“Get them.”

Matthew scrambled up on his feet, grabbed his scabbard that had been placed next to him by habit, drew the sword inside it, and turned around.

The sound of his sword being drawn was echoed by the soldiers, who came charging towards them.

To Matthew´s right, Christopher stood steady with his own sword ready.

The two men glanced at each other, silent communication passing, and Christopher nodded slightly as an answer to Matthew´s questioning eyes before looking at the soldiers again.

With a roar on their lips, they charged.

Matthew felt the magic inside him, finding its release in the anger he felt when he saw his best friend and mentor Chris fall to the ground, bleeding heavily from a cut on the shoulder. He raised his sword towards the men that had attacked them. He slashed it and the man’s body before him was suddenly headless.

Another man tried to cut off his sword arm, but Matthew blocked the thrust and shoved the sword in the man's stomach. Guts spilled out when Matthew pulled out the sword. There were two more soldiers left, but Matthew could take on those later and went for the blond man dressed all in leather red as blood.

The blond didn't have any visible weapon on him and just stood there, one hand on his hip. With a big smile, showing of perfect teeth, he didn't even flinch when Matthew struck out towards him in the cave where they had sought an escape from the storm last night.

Suddenly, pain flared up in his entire body. Screaming and thrusting his free arm up to press it against his temple, Matthew dropped to his knees and felt the sword glide out of his sweaty hand.

The last thing Matthew saw before passing out was blond hair and red leather.


	2. Fighting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I control you now.” It was Dominic´s laugh Matthew had heard. “Every single bit of you. Your body. Your magic. Your mind.” He leaned closer to whisper in Matthew´s ear. “I'm a Mord'Sith and I have been given the pleasure to handle your training.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks goes out to the lovely end1essly and many others, for taking time to beta, and read through my stuff. Everything I post here can also be found at my LJ; http://twimatt.livejournal.com/
> 
> Thank you for reading.

Matthew woke up. He was lying on a stone floor in a room he didn't recognize. The floor was ice-cold against his bare chest and feet and the air was chilly. The burning torches provided flickering light, but didn't do much to warm up the room.  _Where am I?_

“You’re awake. Good.”

When Matthew turned his head towards the voice, he already knew who he was going to see. Yep - short blond hair and red leather clinging to a thin body like a second layer of skin.

Matthew looked at the stranger as he walked towards Matthew and stopped in front of him. The stranger crouched.

“Do you know who I am?” he said with a sweet, but not friendly, voice.

Matthew didn't answer, and asked instead, “Where am I?”

PANG! The stranger backhanded Matthew over the face with his left hand and Matthew saw that the over-side was covered with some kind of metal, hard as the steel on his sword, but flexible, allowing it to follow the movements of the strangers hand. The location of the searing pain and warm liquid running down his jaw told him that his lip had split.

“Do not ask any questions when I want an answer, PET! You will call me Master or Master Dominic. Now, do you know who I am?”

“No it happens to be the way that I don't know who you are.” Matthew said with all the contempt he could. “Master Dominic.” he added.

“You're cheeky! Excellent!” Dominic beamed. “It will be so fun breaking your innocent little mind.” He giggled. “But I almost wish that you knew who I am,” the giggle died. “Because then you would be so, oh-so terrified right now.”

“Who are you then, Master Dominic?” Matthew asked, mostly out of curiosity, but also a bit out of fear towards the blond man. This... Dominic clearly had a lot of power, and didn't wait a second longer than he needed to use it.

Instead of answering Matthew´s question, Dominic stood up and kicked him in the ribs. Hard. Against his own will, Matthew let out a yelp. “UP! Now get over here.” Dominic led the way to the middle of the room, where there was a small hole in the ground and a crook hanging from the roof.

Without warning, Dominic turned to Matthew and punched him hard enough in the head to knock him out once more, and made sure to use the steel so the skin would break, and blood would start to flow from the open wound.

When Matthew woke up again he was nearly naked, only a pair of underwear covering his most private parts. His hands were tied and he was hanging in the rope on the crook, a few inches from the ground. His head pounded worse than ever, and he was sure he was going to have a big, nasty bruise where Dominic had kicked him earlier. He had dozens of small wounds all over his body from the attack earlier that announced their existence, which he felt with every heartbeat.

“You´re obviously not from Midland or D'Hara. If you were, you would have known about my sisters and I. That only leaves Westland, the land free of magic. Yet you know how to use it.”

Grey eyes bored into blue ones and a competition started. The blue pair was the first to look away. Dominic chuckled.

“You can try and use your magic to escape, but I'm warning you, it will be in vain.” Dominic stated with a matter-of-fact-voice.

When Matthew didn't do anything, Dominic sneered. “What, too much of a coward? Come on. Use it.”

Matthew summoned the rage he had felt earlier. That was his key to use magic - it found its release in his rage.

He regretted his action immediately when white-hot pain filled his whole body, the same pain he had felt when he had attacked Dominic the first time.

A deep, throaty laughter reached his ears, and the pain vanished.

“I control you now.” It was Dominic´s laugh Matthew had heard. “Every single bit of you. Your body. Your magic. Your mind.” He leaned closer to whisper in Matthew´s ear. “I'm a Mord'Sith and I have been given the pleasure to handle your training.” An ice-cold shiver travelled down Matthew´s spine and body.

_”They're the lovers of the devil and death. Their hearts are blacker than the darkest of nights, so black that it's a miracle that they even have them.”_

_”How can they have one then?”_

_”Because they care only about themselves, their sisters, and their Master. Listen to me when I say this, boy. If you ever encounter a Mord'Sith, know that your fate is sealed, and that death will soon come to collect your soul.”_

“Now, let's begin with some basic information.” With an evil and wicked smile Dominic flicked his wrist and caught a red leather rod that hung from a slim golden chain in his hand.

“This is an Agiel. It is with this I will handle your training. Do you understand, pet?”

“Yes, Master Dominic.”

“Oh, but you don't. I think I'll have to show you.” With those words, Dominic stepped forward and pressed the Agiel lightly against the right side of Matthew´s ribs.

Matthew threw his head back, and screamed.

The pain was worse than anything he had felt before; only the pain when Dominic had used his own magic against him could outmatch the pain he felt now. His instincts told him to move, to get away from the source of his agony, but his body wouldn’t listen.

Dominic pressed slightly harder and Matthew felt the rib crack. Hot, wet blood poured down his waist and hip, and his underwear was soon soaked and red. A wave of pain went through his whole body, with every breath Matthew took, and a thin sheet of sweat glistened on his skin.

The only sound that could be heard was Matthew´s harsh breathing and his blood dripping from his right foot, forming a pool of red tears on the floor.

As if Matthew was an experiment, and Dominic the experimenter, Dominic laid the Agiel on Matthew´s throat. There was no pain, but when Matthew tried to take a breath he discovered with panic that it was impossible.

Matthew shook his head, and craned his neck in an attempt to get away from the Agiel, but Dominic only stepped closer, and kept the Agiel in its place.

Panic spread faster than a fire in the brunets’ mind, and he wriggled his body as much as he could in the chains, arms burning from holding up his weight, and kicked with his legs.

He felt a knee hit something warm. His eyes that had been shut tightly flew open when the pain came.

Matthew choked, jaw hanging open and lungs burning after the faintest trace of oxygen.

Dominic stood so close to him that their noses almost met, his smoky grey eyes burning with rage, like someone had trapped a storm in them. “You will look at me when I train you unless I say otherwise, pet.” Dominic said, with a low voice. He lifted the Agiel from Matthew´s throat, who began to draw in as much air as he possibly could with a broken rib.

Until now, Dominic had only played with him. Now, he was angry, and Matthew was about to experience the Mord’Sith wrath.

**********

At one point Dominic asked Matthew if he knew why Dominic was wearing red leather. “No, Master Dominic, I do not know. Please Master Dominic, no more.” Matthew answered between uncontrollable sobs, whose origin was the pain searing through his limbs.

Dominic unexpectedly took Matthew´s earlobe in his mouth and sucked on it, drawing a gasp from his victim before whispering:

“It's so your blood won't show on me. Which is kind of sad, because I quite like your blood.” With that, Dominic pressed the Agiel to Matthew´s right cheek to create a small bloody wound and licked on it once, tasting his blood. “Mmm, yeah. It tastes good too.”

Matthew felt a shiver travel down his spine at that action, and his words. _I'm the prisoner of an insane man._ He knew he was going to break down to the pain and very soon too, but he couldn't let it all go. Maybe it would be better for Chris if he let go, so that his best friend could continue his travels around the world. But Matthew wasn't very keen to become a martyr for something no one would hear of; he was too selfish for that. He had to save his mind in some way. _But how?_

The answer to that came that evening, when Dominic released Matthew from the crook, only to put a collar iron around his neck and secure the rope, figuring as a leash to the crook. It was a short rope,and Matthew guessed that if the collar also had been made of rope and he sat down, he would succeed with hanging himself. “Master Dominic?”

There came a touch with the Agiel - a broken finger this time. The message was clear. Asking questions without permission meant punishment. However, Dominic felt nice today and he liked Matthew. “Yes.”

“How will I sleep?” Dominic had been on his way out to leave for the night. He would report on how his new pet’s training went, and then take a well needed bath. Matthew´s question amused him so much that he let out a short laugh, and turning around to face the trapped man whose pale skin that wasn't covered in blood, wounds or forming bruises shimmered in the dim light.

“Sleep? Pets don't sleep. But since you've behaved so well, I will share a secret with you. You can ease the pain I am causing with your own pathetic magic, if you think of me. That's all. Just think of me.” The Mord’Sith smiled. “Let´s give it a try, shall we?”

Again, Matthew felt the white-hot-pain flow through his body, making him feel like he was being ripped apart, stomped over with a hundred galloping horses, and burned alive and crushed, all at the same time. _His hair! Think about his hair - so blond, so beautiful._

Dominic raised his voice and added a mocking tone. “Not good enough, Matthew! Remember, I have your mind, I know what you're thinking!”

_So beautiful. So soft. Want to touch it. Want to feel it. Want to run my fingers through it. Want to worship it._

Slowly, the pain eased and when it was fully gone, Matthew stopped thinking about Dominic´s hair. “See?” The Mord'Sith´s voice still had the mocking tone. “That wasn't too hard, was it? And believe me, it was fun to hear the things you want to do with my hair.” Grinning, Dominic left. Oh, he had had _so_ much fun and he had only started.

**********

Left alone, hopefully for the whole night, Matthew thought about different ways he could save himself. To try to escape was impossible. Dominic would just use his magic against him, and Matthew doubted that thinking about Dominic would ease the pain if he tried that. Maybe Dominic would just kill him. Maybe that would be worth it, if it meant no more torture of him.

Hesitating for a second, Matthew took a step to the left. The well-known magic filled him and immediately he started to think about Dominic´s hair. _So soft. Want to see it shine like gold in the sunshine._

When the pain was gone, Matthew had his answer. To keep sane during his training, he would have to let Dominic break him – but not all of him. In his mind, Matthew imagined a door where he put the most important pieces of his being, the most basic things that made him _Matthew_ , and not somebody else, locked the door and tucked it way as deep in his mind as he could. He then forgot about it, so Dominic wouldn't find it. That piece would be safe; the rest he would give to Dominic to break down.

With that done, he prepared himself for a night without sleep. 

When morning came, Matthew had woken up three times in pain. All three times he had eased it by thinking of Dominic´s hair.


	3. Breaking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I control you now.” It was Dominic´s laugh Matthew had heard. “Every single bit of you. Your body. Your magic. Your mind.” He leaned closer to whisper in Matthew´s ear. “I'm a Mord'Sith and I have been given the pleasure to handle your training.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks goes out to the lovely end1essly and many others, for taking time to beta, and read through my stuff. Everything I post here can also be found at my LJ; http://twimatt.livejournal.com/
> 
> Thank you for reading.

The days became weeks, and the weeks went by in a blur. Or at least Matthew thought that it had been weeks. He had no idea what time it was. There was no opening in the roof, so he could not measure the time by the sun or the moon. His only way to have a clue about the amount of time spent with the Mord'Sith was in the times when he was allowed to sleep, as ever request for or water food was denied. If he behaved, he would be allowed to sleep every night, he thought. But it might just have been one night in a week.

If he didn't behave, he could go days without any sleep and instead get many intense training sessions. The only problem was, Matthew did not know what he did when he 'behaved', and when he did not. Maybe it was when he was screaming. Maybe it was when he thought about Dominic´s hair.

He did not know that his sleep depended completely on Dominic´s mood. This night, however, he was allowed to sleep, even if he wasn't allowed to lie down.

Morning came, and soon after his wakeup, Dominic entered the room dressed in tight red leather, just as the days before.

“How was my little pet’s sleep?” he asked. When Matthew didn't answer Dominic drew the Agiel and pressed it in Matthew´s side.

“Answer me, PET!” When Matthew still didn't answer, as he was too busy catching his breath, Dominic leaned the Agiel gently against Matthew´s chin. Blood started to flow immediately.

“And here I was thinking,” The Mord'Sith´s voice went from angry to smooth and lean. Dangerously lean. “That we had the first lesson clear and over. When I ask a question, you WILL answer me!”

He straightened up the Agiel against Matthew´s chin so only the tip rested against the chin. Matthew´s blood now filled his own mouth and he gagged. Spitting, Matthew tried to empty his mouth enough so he could talk. “Ju-just... kill me.”

Sadness entered the Mord'Sith´s features. “As you wish,” was all he said before he removed the Agiel from Matthew´s chin and pressed it against his heart. Pain, bigger than he had ever felt before, even bigger than the torture Dominic had made him put up with, flared out from his chest.

He let out an ear-shattering scream, but it was swallowed by Dominic´s mouth that suddenly pressed against his own. His body was shaking violently there as it hung in the air, and when Dominic inhaled Matthew´s breath, he twisted the Agiel sharply to the left, and everything went black.

Dominic stepped back, still holding his Agiel against Matthew´s heart. He watched the limp body, covered in blood and bruises he had given it, for a second before moving up to the eyes. The eyes, so blue that they looked like the sky outside. They had shined before. The first time he saw them, they shone with magic, rage and courage. When Dominic had tortured him, they shone with pain and fear. Now they were empty, dead.

And it was Dominic who had caused it. He didn't regret anything. In fact, he had enjoyed it. Still holding Matthew´s last breath, the Mord'Sith took a step forward and released the body from the restraints. But now, he almost regretted his deeds. Almost.

Bending down, Dominic put his right arm under the knees and the left on the back and lifted the body as if it weighed nothing. What had Matthew done to him? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He walked out of the door and down a small corridor before he turned left into a small room.

Dominic only did this because his master, Lord Kirk, had ordered it. Matthew´s last breath burned in his lungs, but he didn't breathe it out. He wondered if Matthew had any friends that would try and save him, not that they would succeed. Dominic laid down the corpse on the bed carefully, and moved to the head of the body.

He hoped that Matthew would give up completely to the torture soon, so he wouldn't need to suffer more. He opened up Matthew´s lips a little bit and then pressed his lips against the corpse and exhaled.

_Matthew stood in a room, lighted by torches. Or, he didn't stand; he hovered a few inches from the stone floor. He saw a man hanging in the air, a rope around his wrists, secured in a crook and united with a chain hanging from the stone roof. He had long, thin fingers and hands, but not thin enough to wriggle out of the rope._

_The man was almost naked and heavily bruised, with blood smeared all over his body. The black hair was short, greasy, and stood in every direction on the man´s head. He was extremely slim, but in the position he was hanging Matthew could see strong muscles on his arms and stomach through the blood._

_The bare legs were also slim, but had more muscles on them, especially the thighs. Matthew guessed they came from all the riding the man had done. But how he knew that the hanging man had rode a lot, he didn't know. The information was just there. He also knew that something about him was missing, he was not complete. But he did not know what it was. He was just an observer, nothing more._

_Then, a blonde man stepped forwards. He was dressed completely in red leather that pulled on his slim body in the exact right places. The leather covered the skin of his body from his neck all the way down to the toes and had a lot of knuckles and belts on the upper body, so the suit would be whole and show no weakness._

_All the knuckles looked highly uncomfortable, which was the point. Again, Matthew just knew that. A rod, also red, hung from the blonde´s wrist from a delicate golden chain. The blonde lifted his hands and with a sharp pull in one end of the rope, it went up and the dead man´s body fell to the ground._

_He picked up the body and walked out of the room. Matthew noticed that the blonde hadn't drawn a single breath since he had started watching. Slowly, he floated out after the man who went into another room, placed in a corridor with other doors._

_The room was small, and had little furniture. A bed, a table, two shelves and a fluffy mat decorated the room. The blonde laid the body on the bed and watched it for a moment, before he walked to the top of the body and opened the mouth with tender movements._

_Matthew watched curiously. What would the blond do? The blonde lowered his head, pressed his lips against the body's cold and slightly blue lips, and exhaled the breath he had been holding._  
 _Matthew felt a sharp tug towards the dead body and..._ opened his eyes but saw only grey.

He blinked. The grey was still there. Then he realised that he was looking into Dominic´s grey eyes.  
Even though he knew he would be punished for asking a question without permission, he needed to know what had happened, what Dominic had done to him.

“Master Dominic, what happened?”

“I killed you.” For a moment Matthew thought he saw sadness lingering in Dominic´s eyes, but it disappeared so quickly that it probably never had been there. Then the words registered in Matthew´s brain.

“Ki-killed me? But I am not dead! It´s a trick! One of your games! No man can die and come back! It is not possible, nor should it happen if it where!”

“It is possible, and it has happened. You are proof of that.” Dominic explained. He knew that Matthew´s reaction would be like that, as every pet’s was the same once they had experienced it.

Matthew was a child in these terms of magic, and therefore Dominic talked to him as if he was a child, with a calm, patient, and soft voice.

“It is called the Breath of Life. If you take a man´s last breath into yourself, you take a bit of his soul with you. That piece makes it possible for a man to come back to life. But when you breathe it back you also give away a piece of your own soul. Do you understand what that means, pet?”

Dominic´s voice hardened again as he reminded Matthew, and himself, about their positions. Master and pet. Nothing else.

“I held a piece of your soul inside me, but now you hold a piece of MY soul inside you, and I can use that.” Matthew watched with a growing sense of fear towards Dominic, who had started to grin, as he leaned back on his heels and closed his eyes.

“You like my hair, don't you, pet? You're always thinking about it when you're trying to ease the pain.” Matthew didn't answer as his fear switched to fascination instead. He was too hypnotized by the blonde’s concentrated expression. He had not seen that before, and wanted to save it in his memory forever. A touch of the Agiel against his arm reminded him that Dominic had asked him a question.

“Yes, Master Dominic. Always, Master Dominic.” he answered. It seemed like the best answer since he hadn't paid fully attention to his Master. It pained him now. Then, suddenly he saw images before his eyes. Shocked, he closed them and opened them again, but they were still there.

They were pictures of Master Dominic´s hair – wet, newly washed, bloody and dark from sweat. Matthew let out a whimper at the last one. It was so beautiful. His Master was beautiful. How had he not seen that before?

Then reality came crushing down. Dominic had said that he had a piece of his soul inside Matthew and that he could use it. He could not trust his own thoughts, or movements.

“Seems like I have not broken you entirely yet. Let's take another round with the Agiel, shall we?”

“Yes, Master Dominic. Thank you, Master Dominic.”

Dominic grinned. Matthew would soon break. But he had one more thing he wanted to do first. It was a long time since he had taken himself a mate. The main reason was that most men broke too soon, or just didn't appeal to Dominic´s taste. Matthew however; was everything Dominic had ever desired, and he had held on unusually long. And Dominic thought he knew just how to break him.


	4. Broken/A Broken Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I control you now.” It was Dominic´s laugh Matthew had heard. “Every single bit of you. Your body. Your magic. Your mind.” He leaned closer to whisper in Matthew´s ear. “I'm a Mord'Sith and I have been given the pleasure to handle your training.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't know when I'll be able to update this again, seeing as this is the last betad chapter. The whole thing's written, I just need to get in contact with my betas.

Three days after Matthew had died and came back to life, Dominic announced that he had to go away in a few weeks’ time.

“I won’t leave soon, but when I do, don't assume that that will make you escape your training, pet. I have asked one of my sisters to take over your training.” He walked closer to Matthew who was hanging on the crook again.

“Her name is Charlaine but you will show her the same respect you have for me.” A touch with the Agiel to Matthew´s inner thigh made him cry out. “Do you understand, pet?”

“Yes, Master Dominic. I understand. Thank you for teaching me, Master Dominic.”

“What will you call my sister?”

“Mistress Charlaine, Master Dominic?”

“Correct. And if you were one of the simple, pathetic and useless men I've had the displeasure to train before you, I would not say this. But I like you, pet. You have held on longer than anyone else has before, which is remarkable since I am the best of my sisters. I have the talent to sense when my pets are about to die, when I pushed the boundary of what they can hold too far. Sister Charlaine does not have this talent, and has many times killed her pet before the real training has even started.

 Another reason for that is her lack of mercy. When I let you rest, she'll go on. When I let you eat, she'll let you starve. She is also very fond of pressing her Agiel inside the ear of her pet. If the pet moves even a millimetre, he will go insane or something worse. I have seen some strange and funny things. I will order her not to do that on you because I want you whole and functioning.”

Matthew felt a shiver travel down his spine. What torture could the Mord'Sith still try on him? Every single inch of his body had been in touch with the Agiel - well, there was one part of him Dominic hadn't touched, and Matthew hoped he would stay away from it.

“Thank you, Master Dominic, for being so nice to me. Thank you for training me.” He was starting to break, and there was nothing he could do against it.

They had just finished the last training session for the day. Matthew hoped that Dominic would let him down and perhaps, if he had behaved, let him sleep for the night.

Dominic however, had other plans.

He released Matthew, and put a collar with a leash attached on it around Matthew´s neck. “Come on pet, let’s take a walk.” Matthew´s legs were wobbly at first, as he had not needed to use them very often since he had become Dominic´s pet. He knew that he had a kind Master who had let him sleep on the floor after a few days of training. His Master had told him so.

As they walked, Matthew saw many other female Mord'Sith in either red or brown leather and some maids that ushered around, cleaning up and carefully avoiding the Mord'Sith as if their life depended on it. With a bolt of unease, Matthew realized that their lives most likely _did_ depend on the Mord'Sith.

After a few minutes, Matthew started to feel weak and his legs hurt, but he kept his mouth shut. His Master would not like it if he complained, and would probably extend his training with a punishment.

They walked for over an hour.

When they came back, Matthew was so exhausted that he collapsed on the floor.

“UP!” Dominic screamed at him. “I have not given you the permission to lie down, pet. Up, I said!”

The Mord'Sith kicked Matthew in the ribs, and Matthew cried out in pain when Dominic´s boot hit a still sore spot from a rib that had been broken in the beginning of his training. He tried to stand up, but found it impossible. After another kick in the ribs, Dominic understood that too, and ordered his pet to lay stretched out on the floor.

Matthew obeyed willingly, but winced when he felt his sore skin stretch out.

“I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you where that weak.” The Mord'Sith said, stroking Matthew´s shin. “But it was needed. Did you notice something special on our walk?”

“N-no, Master Dominic?” Matthew asked hesitantly, not knowing exactly what his Master was after.

“Really? Nothing at all?”

“There was... I saw... I mean...”  
  
“Spit it out, pet.”

“There was a lot of other Mord'Sith, Master. But they were all female, Master Dominic.”

“Yes. They're my sisters, sisters of the Agiel. And I'm their only brother. Do you know how a Mord'Sith is created, pet?” Matthew shook his head. He was sure he did not want to hear the things his Master - no, he reminded himself. Dominic. Not Master. It was the Agiel that made him think that way.

“No, of course you don't, you were not born here. Once every fifth year, the Mord'Sith go out on a hunt after the most beautiful, sweetest, caring and loving girls under seven years they can find. When they have found these girls, they are taken to a fort a bit like this, to start their training to become a Mord'Sith. Do you know why it has to be the sweetest and loving girls, pet?”

Matthew shook his head again, terrified.

“Because the deepest cruelty comes from the deepest caring.”

Matthew felt sick. He thought about all the women he had seen outside. Had they all been kidnapped from their homes as children?

Reading his mind and expressions, Dominic nodded.

“All of my sisters you saw outside, were the most loving girls the Mord'Sith could find.

The next step is to break them down. A Mord'Sith is broken three times, and there are special trainers to do that. First, they break the spirit, and it is what I'm doing to you.”

_The agonized screams of a young boy echoed in the room. He was hanging in chains, the blond locks matted down on his scalp. The body was a bit tanned, and covered with bruises and open wounds, some bleeding, some not._

_A tall man stood beside the boy, a red Agiel in his hand. Casually, he leaned the tip of the Agiel onto the boy’s chest, creating a bloody wound. The man moved the Agiel, never breaking the contact with the skin, all around the boy's torso like he was drawing, and using the boy's blood and skin instead of paint and paper, accompanied by the boy's constant begging for mercy._

_“The more you beg, the harder your punishment will be.” The voice belonged to a female who stood at the wall, in a position so she could see both the man and the boy. “And so will his.” she said, pointing at the man with the Agiel. “Isn't that right, Andrew?”_

 

_“Yes, Mistress. Thank you, Mistress.”_

_The woman snorted. “Give him two extra hours for crying. Then come to my chamber so I can punish you.”_

_She walked slowly up to the boy, the smooth leather on her body making no sound. Her long, dark hair was captured in a tight braid and slung over her right shoulder. “A Mord'Sith does not cry, beg or scream. Ever. Do you understand?”_

_She pressed her index finger to a wounded spot she knew was extra sensitive to the boy. Blood flowed from the wound that opened up again._

_The boy bit down on his tongue, jaw and eyes clenched tight together; anything that wouldn't make him scream out loud like he wanted. But he could not stop the whimper that escaped his lips._

_The Mord'Sith looked at Andrew, a small smile on her lips._

_“Add another hour.” She turned her head back to the boy, her smile widening. “For both of you.”_

 

“Next, they break their empathy by making them watch as their trainer breaks their mother, makes her his pet, and later mate, before she dies from the training.”

_The boy, now in the beginning of his teens, watched with a blank expression as Andrew hurt the woman hanging in the same chains where the boy once had been._

_The woman whimpered and looked up at him. “Please, run... Please. Please.” she sobbed weakly. The woman had been outstanding when it came to resisting the insanity the pain offered. She would have been a good Mord'Sith, had she been chosen._

_The boy spoke, his voice loud and clear in the cold room. “Why?” It was barely a question, more like a game where the boy already knew the answer._

_“Please.” she begged. “For me. You're my little angel.”_

_“For you?” The boy laughed but stopped abruptly and cocked his head to side. Eyes narrowing, he studied the crying woman's face like he would study an insect. “Why would I? I quite like it here.” The boy’s head snapped back upright._

_“You like it here?” she cried out. “They are torturing us!”_

_The boy stared into the grey eyes that belonged to his mother; the same grey she had passed onto him. He stepped even closer, so the tips of their noses were touching, and breathed, very slowly out his response. “Does it look like I care?”_

“Last, they break their fear of hurting others, and teach them to enjoy giving pain to others. The Mord’Sith does that by making them break their own father, under guidance of their trainers, making him their pet and train him until he dies.”

_The young boy was not so young anymore: the blond hair was short, and stubble grazed his cheeks._

_He stood, back straight, before a man who was not old, but whose hair had gone grey, with wrinkles showing before they should._

_The man was half-naked and the visible skin was like a painting of different shades in purple, blue, yellow and green, mixed with red from wounds and blood._

_The young man lifted his left hand and flicked his wrist, so that the red Agiel hanging in a delightful golden chain around the wrist came into his hand. The old man whimpered at the sight._

_“Shut up, pet. You have obviously not learned your lesson yet. You. Are. Not. To. Speak. Unless. I. Tell. You. So”_

_Each word was punctuated with a blow or touch of the Agiel in various places on the old man's body._

_The lower lip was trembling, and the eyes were filled with tears, but the old man didn't let out a sound, to the young man's delight._

_“What would you do for me, pet?” The young man asked._

_“Anything, Master. Anything for you, Master.”_

_The young man grinned. That was the answer he wanted. He took a few steps backwards and slowly walked around the man, rolling the Agiel between his fingertips._

_“Would you lie for me?”_

_The old man nodded. “Yes, Master.”_

_“Would you kill your beloved ones for me?”_

_“Anytime, Master.”_

_“Would you...” The young man paused for a moment, and stopped walking when he was face to face with the older man. “...die for me?”_

_“Give me a knife and I would take my worthless life here and now, if that would please you, Master.”_

_“Oh, but there is no need for that.” The young man pressed the Agiel hard against the spot where the old man's heart was and held it there even as the body shook with spasms, before it went completely limp._

_“Goodbye, Father. I will not miss you.”_

Matthew felt tears flow down his face at the thought of the little girls, getting tortured to madness.

“And you, Master Dominic? Did you also go through that?”

“I was an experiment by the ruler of this country, the generous and fair Lord Kirk. He wanted to see if a boy could survive the training. I was trained with nineteen other boys. They all died or were killed after a few weeks. But not me.”

“How so, Master Dominic?”

“Because I do not find pleasure in women. But I'm happy I survived in the first place. It's an honour to be chosen, and to be the only male, is even a bigger one.”

“Did they train you with an Agiel, Master Dominic?”

Matthew briefly wondered why his Master hadn't punished him for asking questions yet, but he quickly pushed away that thought, not wanting his Master to read it and actually punish him.

“Of course they did.” Dominic held up his Agiel. “With this very Agiel. A Mord'Sith always receives the Agiel they were trained with. It was this Agiel that killed my mother, and it was with this Agiel that I killed my scum of a father, after years and years of training more intense than yours.”

_I'm the prisoner of an insane man, but it is not his fault he is insane._

Matthew´s compassion had sometimes proved to be his biggest strength, but now, when he felt his mind break at the thought of the innocent girls and Dominic, tortured to madness, it was the cause to his downfall.

He could not imagine how someone could be so cruel, so he gave up to Dominic. He had no spirit left to fight with anymore.

“Thank you, Master Dominic. Thank you for training me. You are a gifted teacher.”

Matthew was left alone, collar and leash still on. He only moved to breathe, even when his back started to hurt.

What was a little backache compared to the torture he had been through? Nothing. And what was his torture compared to the torture Dominic had been through? Nothing. So he stayed on his back, staring up towards the roof, and waited for his Master to come back.

**********

Dominic did, almost an hour later. He had taken a bath, thinking about his decision to take Matthew as his mate.

He had also discussed Matthew´s possible future with some of his sisters.

_“Are you madder than usual, Dom? Take that man as mate and Lord Kirk will_ not _be pleased with you.” Amelia, one of the sisters who was closest to Dominic´s heart, glared at him._

_“I can handle Thomas, Amelia. There is no need to worry.”_

_“Oh, really?” she said sarcastically. “You may be his favourite Mord'Sith, but that didn't stop his hand last time you displeased him!”_

_Dominic tightened his jaw. He knew that Amelia only wanted him to be safe, but he could handle whatever Thomas did to him, he was sure of that. After all, he had learned after the first time..._

_“I think you should do it.” Pauline, one of the few older Mord'Sith said. She was known for being very brutal to her pets, and even more so to her mates. “I mean, they never last long, and he will die soon enough, so why wait with getting the full fun out of him?”_

_“Of course they don't last long, with the way you're treating them.” Amelia said. “Speaking of, where is your latest conquest?”_

_“Dead. He was worthless in bed, so I killed him.”_

_Dominic only raised an eyebrow at her._

His decision would create some complications, but he didn't care. He _needed_ Matthew, and he feared it. He was alone: always had been, and always would be. No one had truly cared for him, not even his parents. His mother had tried to stay alive as long as possible, to give him hope and willpower to resist during his second breaking, but that had only extended his suffering. His father was less worth than a pile of shit, as he had sold his mother and younger sister to the Mord'Sith once they had taken Dominic.

But his father had gotten the punishment he deserved, killed by his son´s bare hands after being, tortured, humiliated, broken, and after the world had seen what a monster he was.

It hadn't been easy for Dominic to control his rage, to not kill his father on the spot, and he had often been punished for days, sometimes weeks when he had gotten a bit carried away. One day Dominic found that he could not control himself, and had killed his father before he was broken.

That day, he learned about the Breath of Life.

That day, he earned himself seven months of non-stop training.

That day, he broke his father.

It had been the fact that Dominic, who once was a golden-haired boy with a golden heart, who couldn't stand fishing because the fish got hurt, had become a golden-haired man with a heart blacker than the darkest of nights who could kill _when_ he wanted to, _who_ he wanted to, for nothing else but his own joy, that had broken him.

**********

When Dominic returned to the room, he found Matthew still on the floor, wide awake and awaiting his return.

He swallowed the smirk that threatened to break out on his lips at the sight, and instead kicked Matthew in the ribs, aiming at the point where he knew Matthew had a broken one.

“I think you've had enough rest for today, or what do you say, pet? Up.”

Dominic watched Matthew closely as he waited for Matthew to get up. He also put in his memory the areas of his body Matthew tried to move as little as possible, and the places where he put his weight. Those body parts would soon hurt too.

When Matthew stood up Dominic traced Matthew´s cheekbone, marked with a red bruise with one leather-clad finger, with the same finger, hand and leather that was the origin of the bruise. Dominic slipped his hand in Matthew´s black tufts of hair and grabbed it. It wasn't hard to get a grip, as Matthew´s hair had grown wild and untamed during his weeks with Dominic.

He bent Matthew´s head back a bit, so that his entire jaw line and throat was exposed to Dominic´s hungry eyes.

Again, Dominic traced the entire jaw line with his left fingers before settling them on a bruise on Matthew´s throat. The bruise was the one the Agiel had caused when Matthew had struggled against it in an attempt to get air.

Matthew´s already tense body stiffened up even more when he felt the touch on his throat.

Dominic moved Matthew´s head forwards a bit before whispering in his ear. “Relax.”

He waited there for a few seconds, chin against chin, his nose and forehead nuzzled by Matthew´s ebony hair until he felt Matthew slowly relaxing. Then he drew his head back and looked into Matthew´s clear blue eyes, fleeing for a few moments what was about to happen.

Dominic´s hand travelled to his right leg, to under his right hipbone where his Agiel was resting in two leather strips.

When his fingers touched the Agiel, pain flooded up immediately, but he ignored it. The mere touch of his Agiel was something that he had learned to endure many years ago. Years ago, he would have been screaming and crying at the pain; now, he didn't flinch.

Still losing himself in Matthew´s eyes, Dominic took the Agiel in his mouth and bit down. It took a lot of willpower not to cry out; Dominic had always been more sensitive with the Agiel in his mouth, and he only took it there when he was taking a new mate; as he was doing now.

Dominic read Matthew´s eyes and mind. The brunet could see his pain. Before, that would have been a sign of weakness from Dominic´s side, but he didn't really care about it now. Matthew was broken, and in a few seconds, they would share the pain.

Dominic pressed his lips against Matthew´s, kissing him fiercely, passionately, and when he felt Matthew starting to respond to the movements, the Mord'Sith deepened the kiss. The Agiel was hurting them both, more and more, the longer they were connected.

Dominic felt Matthew trying to get away from their kiss when the Agiel hurt him too, but Dominic only tightened his grip in Matthew´s hair. Not long after, Matthew gave into the pain and did not struggle any more.

Dominic´s left hand gripped Matthew´s shoulder hard enough to bruise when he himself tried to control the pain that flooded from his mouth, out into his body.

They didn't get any other air than the one they took from the other’s lungs. Gasping, the Mord'Sith finally broke the kiss and took away his Agiel from his mouth. Dominic´s body, tense and rigid from the pain the Agiel had caused him, relaxed.

“I have taken you as my mate.” he said, a sad tone in his voice. “You do not have much time to live now. None of my mates has survived more than twelve days. You see, pet, being a Mord'Sith´s mate does not help you escape the pain. It increases tenfold before Death finally embraces you in his arms for good.

Come my love, and I'll show you what it truly means to be a Mord'Sith´s mate. Tonight, neither of us will get any sleep.”


End file.
